An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 5.7 shook the coast of Ecuador on Thursday, and one person died from an electric shock, local authorities reported.
“Unfortunately we have the loss of life of a 16-year-old boy,” confirmed Jorge Vera, mayor of the Simón Bolívar canton, in the province of Guayas, in statements to the Teleamazonas channel.
The death was caused by the fall of a high-tension cable when the victim was doing “a sporting activity,” he added, without giving further details.
The United States Geological Survey said that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in Samborondón, in the province of Guayas, approximately 19 kilometers northeast of the port of Guayaquil, and at a depth of about 78 kilometers.
For its part, the Geophysical Institute of Ecuador indicated that the depth had been “intermediate”, so it was felt in almost the entire country, although in localities of the Sierra it was perceived “weakly”.
The institute received a total of 970 alert reports from citizens.
President Guillermo Lasso, who is in that city, reported on Twitter: “I have arranged for EC Risks to immediately activate the emergency table to assess possible damage in the area,” and noted that “all the families who require”.
Videos broadcast on social networks show people taking to the streets en masse amid swinging doors, poles, traffic lights and trees.
In 2016, an earthquake in the provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas left more than 600 dead and millions in losses.
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